Product securement and management system

ABSTRACT

A system for managing and securing product and deterring theft in a retail setting includes a system that resides either on a standard retailer shelf or may be a stand-alone system. In an embodiment, the system includes a plurality of shelves and product dividers positioned between the shelves and extending from the front edges of the shelves toward the rear of the shelves. Front retaining walls are positioned at the front edges of the shelves and are configured to have a height that inhibits access to products on the shelves. Individual retaining tabs of varying height may be added in front of rows of taller product to inhibit access to these products. In an embodiment, rigid or moveable barriers may be positioned above retaining walls that further restrict access to the products. With the invention, the “sweeping” of numerous products by a thief is deterred. In another embodiment, an alert device may be configured to detect and monitor movement of the moveable barriers and may provide an alert signal corresponding to the management of product on the shelf or corresponding to a potential theft situation. In an embodiment, the alert device may communicate with a security camera to monitor the vicinity and provide a notification to the potential thief that his actions are being monitored and recorded, or provide a notification to store computer, pager, cellular telephone, or the like. In yet another embodiment, lock mechanisms may be used to further secure high-risk theft items. Also, clips or clip members may be incorporated to further secure the product dividers to the shelves. In addition, an adjustable power bar may be included that is adjustable to accommodate the height adjustments made to the shelves.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/945,057, filed Nov. 26, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,341, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/612,210 filed Dec. 18,2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,299,934, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. No. 11/140,023, filed May 27, 2005, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,150,365, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.No. 11/047,915, filed Feb. 1, 2005, which claims benefit to U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/541,804, filed Feb. 3, 2004. All of theseapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to shelf assemblies for use inmerchandising product and more particularly to shelf assemblies thatimprove the securement and management of merchandised product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that retail and wholesale stores, such as drug stores,grocery stores, discount stores, toy stores, and the like require anduse a large amount of shelving both to store product and to display theproduct to consumers. In displaying product to consumers to promote andimprove store sales, these stores situate or position the product towardthe front of the shelf so that the product is visible and easilyaccessible to consumers. This desirable positioning has certaindrawbacks. For instance, with this desirable “front-facing” of product,the stores are finding that relatively small products or packages ofhigh value can be the target of thieves. Certain items can represent ahigh value to potential thieves who can either resell the items or usethem for other illegitimate purposes, as in the case of certainpharmaceutical products. This theft is increasing and is now asignificant cost to the retailer because thieves prefer to steal manyproducts at once or in as short amount of time as possible. To do this,for example, thieves will “sweep” the shelf with their arm collectingthe items into a purse, bag or coat very quickly and exit the storewithout drawing attention.

Theft can be the result of both customers and employees actions and hasbeen difficult to eliminate. Attempts to deter and prevent theft haveproven to be only partially effective. For instance, in-store camerasoften do not observe the theft clearly enough to catch or prosecute thethief. In addition, in-store security personnel are rarely in thecorrect position to actually observe a thief in action. As a result,theft continues to be a significant problem and cost in the managementof product inventory.

The present invention is directed at overcoming these and other knowndrawbacks and problems with existing shelving systems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems byaddressing the securement and management of product in a retail setting.As will become evident below, the invention has the ability to inhibit“sweeping” of product by a thief and to limit the taking of largeamounts of product from a shelf in a short period of time. Using one ormore methods such as placing the shelves closer together, using productdividers that extend from the front edge of the shelf and between theshelves, and placing front walls having a specific height that resultsin a smaller opening to limit access to product, the present inventionwill inhibit sweeping of product and the removal of numerous products ata time. The present invention also has the ability to alert store orsecurity personnel and security cameras of a potential theft situation,while minimizing the impact on access to product by legitimate shoppers.By incorporating an alert device that detects movement of a movablebarrier installed over the smaller opening above the front wall, thepresent invention will provide an alert signal indicative of thepotential theft of numerous products from the shelf.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon review of the following detaileddescription, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used todesignate like features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of aproduct securement and management system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a partial side elevation view of the exemplary securementand management system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a pulloutshelf that may be used with the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of theproduct securement and management system of the invention incorporatingthe pullout shelf.

FIG. 5 depicts a side elevation view of an exemplary pullout shelfillustrating the product dividers and the restocking of product on theshelf.

FIG. 6 depicts a side elevation view of an exemplary mounting of a frontretaining wall and a secondary retaining wall to the shelf in additionto an exemplary pusher mechanism.

FIG. 7 depicts a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of afront retaining wall and a secondary retaining wall.

FIG. 8 depicts a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of afront retaining wall and a secondary retaining wall with productdisplayed on the shelf.

FIG. 9 depicts a bottom view of an exemplary alert device mounted to theexemplary securement and management system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary lock mechanism that may be used with thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a movable barrier and barrierextension that may be used with the present invention.

FIG. 12 depicts a close up view of the movable barrier and barrierextension of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 depicts a close up view of an exemplary handle that may be usedwith the movable barrier or barrier extension of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 depicts a close up view of the movable barrier and barrierextension of FIG. 11 defining an opening and mounting structure forreceiving the lock mechanism of FIG. 10.

FIG. 15 depicts a partial front elevation view of the exemplarysecurement and management system of FIG. 1 including the use of asecurity camera.

FIG. 16 depicts a partial front elevation view of the exemplarysecurement and management system of FIG. 1 including the use of a videomonitor.

FIG. 17 depicts a diagram of an exemplary switching operation between acamera image and an image from a video player on the monitor of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 depicts another exemplary lock mechanism that may be used withthe present invention.

FIG. 19 depicts another view of the exemplary lock mechanism of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 depicts a back view of the exemplary lock mechanism of FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 depicts yet another exemplary lock mechanism that may be usedwith the present invention.

FIG. 22 depicts another view of the exemplary lock mechanism of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 depicts a close-up view of the lock plate of the exemplary lockmechanism of FIG. 21.

FIG. 24 depicts another view of the lock plate of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 depicts an exemplary embodiment that includes the use of a clipthat may be used to further secure a side wall to the shelf.

FIG. 26 depicts an isometric view of the clip of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 depicts a close-up view of the mounted clip of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 depicts an exemplary electrical power bar that may be used withthe invention.

FIG. 29 depicts another view of the power bar of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 depicts an exemplary embodiment that includes a side wall thatmay be used to provide further security for product on a shelf or aportion of a shelf.

FIG. 31 depicts another view of the wall of FIG. 30.

FIG. 32 depicts an isometric view of a clip that may be used to furthersecure a side wall to the shelf.

FIG. 33 depicts another view of the clip of FIG. 32.

Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of the components setforth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. Rather, the phrasesand terms used herein are to be given their broadest interpretation andmeaning. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereofis meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalentsthereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. The use ofthe terms “mounted,” “connected,” “coupled,” “positioned,” “engaged” andsimilar terms, is meant to include both direct and indirect mounting,connecting, coupling, positioning and engaging.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the securement, management, anddistribution of products in settings such as a retail setting andincludes numerous embodiments. One embodiment involves a shelfmanagement and display system that resides either on a standard orexisting “dealer” shelf typically found in a retail store or on a shelfdesigned with certain advantages in securing products and deterringtheft. The embodiment may include uprights of a pre-existing shelvingsystem or may be a stand alone unit. The display system includesfront-facing systems, which force product to the front of a shelf. Suchsystems may use various methods, such as gravity, friction, magnetism,or spring-urged pushers or paddles to bring product to the front of ashelf near the aisle. Many examples of spring-urged systems that orientproducts toward the front of a shelf exist and include the systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,720 to Hardy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,201to Breslow, and International Application No. PCT/US02/15760 andcorresponding International Publication No. WO 02/091885 A1 to Hardy,which are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment of the present invention,a shelf management and display system 100 includes vertical uprights 102and product shelves 104 removably mounted to the uprights. The shelves104 may be mounted at various positions along the uprights 102 dependingon the desired positioning and spacing of the shelves 104. Similarly,the shelves 104 may be moved or relocated to different positions alongthe uprights 102 as necessary. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shelves104 may be pull-out shelves that pull away from the uprights 102 likedrawers. As illustrated by FIG. 3, the shelf 104 may incorporate alocking device 117 which involves cooperating catches that contact eachother in the locked position and substantially release this contact inthe unlocked position and that when released will permit the shelf 104to pull-out and away from the uprights. The shelves or uprights mayinvolve other locking devices, such as magnets, latches, notches,binders, tension or the like. Once pulled away, the store personnel canrestock the shelf with product and then slide the shelf 104 back to itsoriginal position and relock the shelf.

A back wall 106 may be mounted to the uprights 102 through knownmounting techniques to aid in containing the products and to preventaccess to the products from the back of the display system 100. A lockbox 108 may be mounted to the uprights 102 also through known mountingtechniques. The lock box 108 may be used for storing and lockingadditional product and shelving components for quick retrieval by thestore personnel. The lock box 108 may be positioned at any position onthe uprights 102, including the depicted positioning at or near the topof the display system 100. In an alternative embodiment, the lock box108 may be secured to a shelf 104 as opposed to the uprights 102. Witheither mounting location, the additional product and shelving componentsare located at the display system 100 and can therefore be readilyretrieved by store personnel.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention may include a series of wallsor dividers 110 that are placed between product rows, lanes or facings,and at the ends of the facings, to deter product “sweeping” by a thief.These walls 110 are sometimes referred to as “product dividers.” As usedherein, the terms “vertical walls,” “product dividers” and “dividers”are meant to include any wall (including vertical and non-vertical),divider, barrier, or separator that may be used between product rows,lanes or facings. The product dividers 110, when positioned in aspaced-apart manner on the display system 100, form product lanes 112for locating and separating product to be merchandised.

The product dividers 110 or side walls also are positioned at the sidesof the product facing to prevent access to the product from the side ofthe display system 100. In one embodiment, these dividers or side wallsmay include telescoping features that permit them to extend verticallyor horizontally to provide additional product securement. Significantly,these dividers or side walls may be used in numerous applications as thesize and extent of these can be adjusted to fit most shelves, shelvingor display systems, or applications.

A pusher 126 can be used to urge product forward. This pusher canincorporate a coil spring to assist in urging product forward. Thedivider 110 in some embodiments can include a base or floor. In someembodiments this floor includes a pusher track 128. FIG. 6 shows thefloor on one side of the divider wall. A second floor can be on theopposite side of the divider wall. With floors on both sides of thevertical divider wall, product can rest on these floors. In one suchembodiment, a product can rest on one floor of one divider and a secondfloor of a second divider.

The product dividers 110 define a height, shape and configuration thatdeter the removal of product over the product dividers 110. The dividers110 extend in a vertical or non-vertical manner between the shelves 104and from the front of the shelf 104 to the back wall 106. The dividers110 have a generally rectangular shape; however, other shapes andconfigurations of the dividers, such as non-rectangular, oval, repeatingpatterns or the like, may be used with the invention. Depending on theproduct to be merchandised and the desired degree of access to theproducts, the front edge 114 of the product dividers 110 may extendvertically between the shelves 104, or may extend non-vertically to makethe products more accessible to the consumer and easier to remove fromthe shelf. In one embodiment, the divider 110 defines a front edge 111that includes a front edge portion 113 protruding outward from the frontedge 111, as shown in FIG. 5. The protruding portion of the front edgewill assist in holding the retaining wall or tab 122 in position toprevent slidable movement of the retaining wall or tab 122, as describedbelow.

The product dividers 110 may be mounted to the display system 100 usingnumerous techniques. As an example, the dividers 110 may be insertedinto tracks formed in the shelf 104 or tracks formed in a base thatattaches to the shelf 104. Similarly, the dividers 110 may be formedintegral or as a unitary unit with a base that is mounted to the shelf.Also, the dividers 110 may be mounted to a rail, channel, or groove asunderstood by those skilled in the art. The dividers 110 should besufficiently rigid to retain the product within the product lanes.Examples of dividers that may be used with invention are described inU.S. Pat. No. 6,041,720 to Hardy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,201 to Breslow,and International Application No. PCT/US02/15760 and correspondingInternational Publication No. WO 02/091885 A1 to Hardy, which areincorporated herein by reference. One skilled in the art will appreciatethat other dividers and techniques for mounting the dividers to theshelves are known and may be used with the teachings of the invention.

In one embodiment, the dividers 110 may have a step down or decline nearits rear edge, or a decrease in wall height, to allow the wall 110 to belifted and disengaged from the rail on which it is mounted. With thisconfiguration, the dividers 110 may be moved laterally withoutinterfering with the shelf above it. In one embodiment, the verticalwall or divider 110 has a step down beginning approximately ⅔ of thewall length from its front edge.

In an embodiment, it may be desired to provide enhanced security foritems on only a portion of a shelf. These items may be located in thecenter of the shelf or on a side of the shelf. Security features such asthose referenced herein can be added to only a portion of the shelf,while the remainder of the shelf contains fewer or none of the securityfeatures. Where high security items are placed in the center of a shelf,these items can be segregated from the remainder of the shelf throughthe use of walls. These walls can provide the side barriers for the highsecurity portion of the shelf. These walls can be made of strongconstruction, such as metal, and can extend from the floor of a shelf toa distance fairly near the top of the shelf. These walls also can beattached to the shelf as well as the other security features to limitthe possibility of the walls being bent, removed or otherwise thwartedand to assist in limiting access to the items being merchandised on theshelf.

Referring to FIGS. 25, 30 and 31, walls 340 and 350 are used tosegregate a shelf into a higher security area and a lower security area.Walls 340 and 350 can be made from steel and can extend from at or nearthe floor of the shelf to an area at or near the ceiling of the shelf.The walls also can be adjustable. In an embodiment, the walls can becomprised of a top section 344 and a bottom section 346. As shown inFIG. 31, these two sections can overlap to provide a continuous barrier.The top section 344 of wall 340 and the bottom section 346 of wall 340can include apertures that align the two walls. A fastener 348 such as ascrew, bolt, pin, rod or other fastener can be used to join the twowalls at a particular height. The walls also can comprise a floor 342which includes apertures and can be connected to the floor of the shelfthrough a fastener 349 such as a screw, bolt, pin, rod or otherfastener.

Referring to FIGS. 25-27, 30-33 a clip or clip member 320 or 360 may beused to further secure the wall 340, 350 to the shelf 104 and inparticular the walls that separate secure products from non-secureproducts. The clip 320, 360 also can be used to secure divider 110 to ashelf 104 (embodiment not shown). The clip 320, 360 may be used tostrengthen the wall 340, 350 to prevent the bending or moving of thewall. With the use of the clip 320, 360, the wall 340, 350 may be madeof a thinner, less costly material because the clip 320, 360 willprevent potential bending or twisting of the wall to access the producton the shelf. The walls 140, 150 also are known as side walls.

In an exemplary embodiment, the clip 320, 360 is configured at one endto engage a hinge rail 322, which is used to hinge the barrier 140,discussed below, to the shelf 104. The hinge rail 322 is mounted to ashelf. The clip 320, 360 mounts to the shelf through its interactionwith hinge rail 322. The clip 320, 360 is further configured at anopposite end to engage the wall 340, 350. More particularly, the clip320 includes a blade portion 324 that is configured to engage with thehinge rail 322 and at any of the multiple positions along the hinge rail322, thus providing flexibility in the placement of the clip 320. Theblade portion 324 may take on numerous shapes and configuration and maybe connected to or joined with a clip body 328. The clip body 328 isfurther connected to or joined with opposing wall mounting members 330.The wall mounting members 330 are configured to be positioned onopposing sides of a wall 340 with the wall passing between the mountingmembers 330. The wall mounting members 330 further define aligned holes332 for receiving a mounting fastener 334 that may be used to secure themounting members 330 to the wall 340, as depicted by FIG. 27. Thealigned holes 332 may be thru holes or threaded holes. As can beappreciated, any type of fastener or securement technique may be used tosecure the clip 320 to the wall 340.

Where a wall 340 or 350 is placed at the side end of a shelf, a clip 360can be used to further secure the wall 340, 350 to the shelf 104. At theedge of the shelf, the hinge rail ceases (not shown). Clip 360 includesa blade portion 362 that extends in only one direction from the clipbody 364. The blade portion 362 is configured to engage the hinge rail322. In an embodiment, the blade portion engages only a single hingepiece or knuckle of the hinge rail. For example, in FIG. 27, a singlehinge piece or knuckle is designated by 323. The blade portion 362includes a first blade portion 363 and a second portion 366 that can beat an angle to first portion 363. The second portion 366 can beconfigured to interact with the side 324 of knuckle 323. The blade 362may take on numerous shapes and configuration and may be connected to orjoined with a clip body 364. The clip body 364 is further connected toor joined with opposing wall mounting members 368. The wall mountingmembers 368 are configured to be positioned on opposing sides of a wall350 with the wall passing between the mounting members 368. The wallmounting members 368 further define aligned holes 370 for receiving amounting fastener (not shown) that may be used to secure the mountingmembers 368 to the wall 350. The aligned holes 370 may be thru holes orthreaded holes. As can be appreciated, any type of fastener orsecurement technique may be used to secure the clip 360 to the wall 340or 350.

A front retaining wall 116 may be positioned along the front edge of theshelf 104. The front retaining wall 116 can serve as a “fence” torestrain the product in the product lanes 112 and assist in preventingthe product from falling off the front of the shelf 104. The retainingwall 116 stops the forward movement of product that is caused by theurging of the pushers, described below. As exemplified by FIG. 6, theretaining wall 116 may be mounted to a channel or rail 118 that extendsalong the front edge 119 of the shelf 104. The channel or rail 118 maybe mounted to existing holes in a standard dealer shelf, or secured byany other known manner to the shelf 104. The retaining wall 116 may bemounted to or on the channel or rail 118. The front retaining wall 116may be made of a clear plastic to permit visualization of the product onthe shelf and provide a more aesthetically pleasing organization to themerchandised product. The front retaining wall 116 can also be createdfrom opaque or semi-transparent material, or from wire, and can beadaptable to display graphics. The front retaining wall 116 can have avariety of configurations, such as rectangular, oblong, repeatingpatterns or the like.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 7, the front retaining wall 116 may alsoinclude holes or openings 120 extending therethrough that are spacedalong the wall 116. The holes 120 permit the consumer and storepersonnel to push the product back and away from the retaining wall 116for ease of insertion and removal of the product.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the retaining wall 116 can have a height thatpermits the removal of a single product at a time or, depending on thedesired level of security, a couple of products or a few products at atime. In other words, the height of the retaining wall 116 can permitlimited access to and removal of product from the display system 100.Stated another way, the retaining wall 116 is not so tall as to prohibitany access to the product, but is sized to allow the consumer or storepersonnel to access and lift a limited number of product over theretaining wall 116 at one time. This limited removal of products isaccomplished through the use of the retaining wall 116 and the closeproximity of the shelf 104 positioned above the product. That is, in oneembodiment, the shelf 104 located above the product will be positionedin close proximity to the top edge of the product, or the top edge ofthe product divider 110, whichever is taller. The shelf 104 locatedabove the product, the product dividers 110, and the retaining wall 116will form an opening or window 131 through which only a single, two, orpossibly a few, product(s) can be removed at one time or in a singlemotion. This configuration also deters “sweeping” of product from theshelf 104. The size of the window 131 can be adjusted by adjusting thelocation of the shelf 104 above the product, the dividers 110, and/orthe retaining wall 116, or through the use of a second retaining wall122, barrier 130, and/or barrier 140, described below. This window 131adjustment permits flexibility with the system and allows the store toset the window 131 size depending on the product size and how manyproducts they want to permit consumers to remove at a time.

In an exemplary embodiment, if taller products are merchandised on theshelves 104, or if a smaller window 131 is desired, a second retainingwall 122 may be positioned behind or possibly in front of the retainingwall 116 to serve as a retainer for the product. As used herein, thesecond retaining wall 122 may be referred to as a “tab” and may includeany retaining structure or “fence” that can be selectively configured ormounted to the shelves 104 to provide selective theft prevention ofspecific products, such as high theft items. Consequently, the secondretaining wall or tab 122 may have many configurations, shapes anddesigns, and may be used in front of individual rows of product orgroups of rows of product.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second retaining wall or tab 122 may bemounted to or on a second channel or rail 124 that extends parallel withthe channel or rail 118. The retaining wall or tab 122 may be slidablerelative to the shelf 104 or rail 124, or may be fixed relative to theshelf 104 or rail 124. The tab 122 can be positioned between adjacentdividers 110 and held in position between the dividers 110. In otherwords, the tab 122 may not be permitted much slidable movement in or onthe channel or rail 124 because the dividers 110 will hinder suchslidable movement. In some embodiment, the dividers 110 contain aportion that serves as a stop to prevent the tab or first retaining wallfrom moving laterally. Such configuration further prevents theft of theproduct as potential thieves will not be permitted to simply slide thetab 122 to the side and remove numerous products at a time.

The second retaining wall or tab 122 will have a height that permitsaccess to and removal of a limited number of product. If desired, thetab 122 may have a height that permits removal of only one product at atime. With the use of tabs 122, the display system 100 will haveflexibility in that tabs 122 of varying height may be positioned infront of the product lanes 112 to accommodate various sized products.That is, if a row of product has a product height that is different thana product in an adjacent row, tabs 122 of varying height can be used toprovide the proper level of security and access to the product.

In one embodiment, the tabs 122 may be sized to extend across oneproduct lane 112 or in front of a single row of product. In analternative embodiment, the tab 122 may be sized and shaped to extendacross multiple product lanes 112. In this embodiment, the tabs 122could include slots or channels to permit the tabs to “straddle” thedividers 110 and thereby extend across multiple product lanes. Inaddition, the dividers 110 could extend through the slots or channelsand thereby inhibit slidable movement of the tabs 122.

The second retaining wall or tab 122 may also be used in place of theretaining wall 116. In other words, the front “fence” on a productfacing may be the tabs 122 of varying height, length and width, or ofthe same dimensions. In this configuration, the channel or rail 118 maybe used to mount dealer-shelf accessories, such as clip-in signage,price tag holders, and the like. The tab 122 also can be attached to thedivider 110 or can be formed such that the tab 122 and divider 110 arean integral piece. A wall or partial wall structure such as tab 122 canexist at the front of the divider 110 and can extend to the left orright or to both the left and right of the divider. This wall or partialwall can be used with or without a front retaining wall 116.

In an exemplary embodiment, the tabs 122 may include holes or openings125 through the tab 122, similar to the holes or openings 120 in theretaining wall 116, to permit the consumer and store personnel to pushthe product back and away from the retaining wall 116 and tab 122 forease of insertion and removal of the product. In other words, the holesor openings 126 allow product to be replaced by a consumer who removesit and decides not to purchase the product. To this end, the holes oropenings 120, 125 are constructed to allow finger access therethrough topush back the row of product. Once the products are pushed backward, theconsumer or store personnel can replace the removed products back intothe facing. It should be understood that tabs 122 also can be used thatdo not include the holes or openings 125.

In an exemplary embodiment, the tab 122 may provide securement for anindividual row of a product facing. That is, it may be desirable toprovide additional theft deterrence for an individual row of product. Inthis configuration, the tab 122 having the desired dimensions may bepositioned in front of a desired product row to provide additionalsecurement for just that row of product. This embodiment will providethe stores with additional flexibility with their planograms and productfacings in that individual tabs 122 of different dimensions may beplaced at various locations across the facing to enhance the securementof particular products.

In an embodiment, retainer tabs 122 can be used on an individual facingbasis for specific products. If a shelf is merchandised with productpackages of variable height, the retainer wall 116 must be of a heightthat allows the shortest product package to be lifted over it. If ashelf 104, barrier 130, or barrier 140 is employed above the product,then the shelf 104 or barriers 130, 140 must be located at a heightabove the product to allow the placement of the tallest product belowit. This may allow a thief easy access to the taller product by beingable to easily lift the taller product in quantity over the relativelyshort retainer wall 116. It can be desirable, then, to increase theheight of a front barrier only in front of the taller product. Thesecond retaining wall or tab 122 can be of a taller height than theretaining wall 116 and can be generally taller than required for thesmall product packages. The retainer wall or tab 122 can therefore beconstructed and used to limit access to the taller product and removalof several taller products at a time or in one motion, further securingproduct and deterring theft. Similarly, the retainer wall or tab 122 canbe constructed and used to limit access to smaller but deeper productsand to limit the removal of several smaller but deeper products at atime or in one motion. The retainer tab 122 thus allows flexibleplacement of product on a shelf by the retailer and manufacturer, nomatter the size, shape, and configuration of the product.

The retaining wall 116 and tab 122 may be mounted, directly orindirectly, to the shelf 104 using numerous techniques. The retainingwall 116 and tab 122 may be slidably mounted to or receivable in thechannels or rails 118, 124, which are secured to the front edge of theshelf through fasteners, adhesives, friction, tension, magnetism, orother restraining techniques and methods. The retaining wall 116 and tab122 may also be directly mounted or connected to the shelf 104 alsothrough the use of fasteners, adhesives, friction, tension, magnetism,or other restraining techniques and methods. The retaining wall 116 andtab 122 may be fixed to the shelf 104 or removably mounted to the shelf104 to permit additional flexibility in the design and level of securityof the system.

Pushers 126 may be placed behind product between the back wall 106 andthe front edge of the shelf 104 to push the product forward so that itmay be removed from the front of the shelf. The retaining wall 116 andtabs 122, if used, in some embodiments can stop the forward movement ofproduct that is caused by the urging of the pushers. Known pushers maybe used with the invention, including the pushers and pusher systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,720 to Hardy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,201to Breslow, and International Application No. PCT/US02/15760 andcorresponding International Publication No. WO 02/091885 A1 to Hardy,all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The pushers 126 maybe spring-urged pushers that move along a track 128 to push producttoward the front edge of the shelf 104, as shown in FIG. 6. Track 128can form a floor on one side of the divider. A second floor, with orwithout a track, can be located on the other side of the divider.

In an embodiment, the pushers 126 may have a pusher face or paddle 129that may extend laterally to increase the pushing surface of the pusherto thereby pusher wider product more effectively. In other words, thepusher 126 may have an extendable pusher face to push either narrowproduct or wide product. The pusher face or paddle 129 may be extendablefrom a retracted position to one of several extended positions. Theextended pusher face locates the product pushing surface behind thecenter or near the center of the wider product, thereby greatlyenhancing the pushing leverage on the wider product. Numerous othertypes of pushers and pusher faces may be used with the invention,including the systems and pushers described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/772,134 to Hardy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The pushers 126 may be stand-alone units that are mountable to the shelf104 using any known technique, including the channel mounting techniquedepicted in the figures. That is, in one embodiment, the pusher 126 maybe mounted to a front rail or channel 133, as shown in FIG. 6, and maybe slidably adjustable within or on that rail or channel. Alternatively,the pushers 126 may be used in conjunction with dividers 110 and may beoperatively mounted to the dividers 110, as disclosed in the abovereferenced patents and application, or as known in the art.

In another embodiment, the pushers 126 may incorporate springmechanisms, such as coil springs, that include an indicia strip. Theindicia strip is provided on spring mechanism and contains data relatingto the position of the pusher 126. A sensor assembly may scan theindicia strip and transmit data representative of the product and theposition of the pusher on the display system to a store computer or someother suitable device, such as a portable computer or controller. Thetransmitted data can be used to determine inventory levels and can bedone so in real time. With this embodiment, the amount of productremoved from a particular location in the store can be determined. Thisinformation can be used to determine the effectiveness of productplacement and promotional displays, particularly when a product can beobtained from various places within the retail store. And with respectto deterring theft, a deviation in the typical purchasing habits of theconsumer can trigger an alarm. That is, the alarm can be used to alertsecurity personnel to the fact that too much product has been removedfrom the shelf at one time and thus a potential theft has occurred. Thelocation of the incident can also be used to alert a security camera soas to focus the camera in the direction of the potential theft, asdiscussed below. With this embodiment, numerous types of sensors anddetection techniques may be used to monitor the relative position andmovement of the pusher 126. For example, in an embodiment, the indiciastrip may contain numerous types of patterns that can be opticallyreadable or can be read using several different types of detectionmethods, such as passive variable capacitance, inductance, resistance,magnetics, or active signal detection. Numerous other types of sensorsand detection techniques are possible with the invention for detectingunusual movement of the pusher 126 that may be indicative of a potentialtheft situation, including the systems and techniques described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/772,010 to Swafford et al., which isincorporated herein by reference.

In other exemplary embodiments, the merchandised product may be urgedtoward the front of the shelf 104 through other techniques, includingfriction, gravity and/or magnetism. Each of these techniques may be usedwith the display system 100 and the teachings of the present invention.These techniques may be used with or without dividers 110, depending onthe desired application. In one embodiment, the shelf is not completelyhorizontal but has an incline or decline from back to front.

In another embodiment, the merchandised product may be urged toward thefront of the shelf 104 through vibration or quick movements that orientproducts in a particular direction on the shelf 104. Vibration can causeproducts to move forward on the shelf 104 and prevent them from movingbackward so that the product is front facing. This vibration may beapplied through mechanical, electrical or other structures or designs.

In one embodiment, directed vibration moves product toward the front ofthe shelf. The directed vibration causes product to move in particulardirections or in one direction and not to move in other directions.Through this vibration, which is instituted through the shelf 104,upright 102, floor, wall, ceiling or other structure, or through avibrative pulse or signal traveling through the air, the product movesin a particular direction, such as frontward.

In another embodiment of the vibration technique for urging productforward on the shelf 104, general undirected vibration is applied to thesystem. This vibration may be applied through the shelf 104, upright102, floor, wall, ceiling, other structure or through vibration or asignal traveling through the air. Directors, such as small toggles,ridges, flanges, fingers, or the like, cause product to move in aparticular direction depending on their configuration, shape, andorientation. These directors can channel the energy from unspecificvibration and force product in a particular direction, such asfrontward. The directors can be placed on the shelf 104, divider 110,floors, walls or ceilings of the system and can be incorporated into theproduct itself.

In an embodiment of the vibration technique, product sits on a floor andfriction moves product toward the front of the shelf. In one embodiment,the floor may be a flat surface panel operatively coupled to a motionproviding device. In use, product is placed on the flat surface paneland a combination of gravity and friction hold the product in place onthe flat surface panel. The motion providing device then slowly movesthe flat surface panel toward the retaining wall 116 located at thefront of the shelf 104. After a preset amount of time, or throughproduct position sensing techniques, the motion providing devicequickly, in a jerking motion, pulls the flat surface panel in theopposite direction or, in other words, toward the back of the shelf. Bydoing so, the quick motion of the flat surface panel breaks the bond offriction between the product and the flat surface panel causing the flatsurface panel to slide relative to the product and the product to remainat its location. The motion providing device will then repeat thepreviously described process and begin to slowly move the flat surfacepanel toward the retaining wall 116. Examples of such vibrationtechniques for urging product forward on a shelf are disclosed in U.S.Patent Application Ser. No. 60/541,859 to Hardy, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

As indicated above, the dividers 110, retaining wall 116 and tabs 122assist in preventing a thief from sweeping a number of products into hisor her coat or bag or from taking several products in the same facing.To even further limit the access to the product, in another exemplaryembodiment, a horizontal barrier 130 (FIG. 2) may be included above theproduct packages and secured to the front edge of the shelf 104positioned above the product. The barrier 130 may be fixed to the frontedge of the shelf 104 or may be fixed to uprights 102. The barrier 130further deters unobstructed access to the product in the product facingby reducing the area, window or opening through which product could beremoved from the shelf. The barrier 130 may be constructed separate fromthe shelf or may be integral with the shelf. The barrier 130 may spanone row of product on a facing, or may span multiple rows of product,depending on the desired level of security. Alternatively, the barrier130 may comprise another shelf 104 positioned just above the product. Inthis embodiment, the shelf 104 above the product is positioned in closeproximity to the product. The barrier 130 restricts access from thefront of the shelf 104 to only one or a few products positioned behindthe front product in a facing row to permit the removal of only a fewproducts from a shelf, or a product pusher, at one time or in onemotion. The retaining walls 116 and tabs 122 may be used conjunctivelywith the barrier 130 to prevent product from being easily removed fromthe shelf 104. In other words, the present invention contemplates theuse of one, two or multiple barriers or walls to prevent severalproducts from being removed from the shelf at a time or in one motion.The barrier 130 may be made of various materials and may be secured tothe front of the shelf 104 through any known technique.

A further embodiment of the invention incorporates a barrier 140 thatspans across one or two, some, all or the majority of the top of theproduct on a shelf 104. The barrier 140 functions similar to a door inthat it may be hinged or movably mounted to the edge of the shelf 104,or the barrier 130, just above the product to be protected. As usedherein, the term “barrier” is meant to include any structure that willprevent, inhibit or obstruct access to the product on the shelf 104. Thebarrier can embody numerous shapes and configurations. The barrier 140may be mounted to the shelf 104 using existing mounting holes on theshelf. The barrier 140 also may be mounted on the front edge of a frontrail from the shelf above it. The front edge of the shelf can have hooksor “j” shapes on its underside. The barrier 140 can have apertures whichfit within the hooks or “j” shapes. The barrier 140 defines a bottom lipor edge that may meet or overlap the top edge of the retaining wall 116or tab 122. Such meeting or overlap further closes off access to theproduct except with deliberate action. In an exemplary embodiment, asshown in FIG. 13, the barrier 140 may include a handle 202 to assist inmoving the barrier 140 from a closed position to an open position, andvice versa. The handle may be molded with the barrier 140 along the edgeof the barrier as exemplified by FIG. 13, or the handle may be aseparate component attached, mounted, secured, or adhered to the barrier140 using any known technique. One skilled in the art will appreciatethat the invention is not limited by a particular shape or configurationof the handle and that the handle may define numerous shapes orconfigurations. Moreover, the barrier 140 may be configured with areinforcing rim that extends along the edge of the barrier 140. Thereinforcing rim provides additional structural integrity and rigidity tothe barrier 140. The reinforcing rim may also be equipped or configuredwith a handle. If the barrier 140 is configured with a locking mechanismas described herein the reinforcing rim will assist in preventing apotential thief from bending or breaking the barrier 140 and thus givingthe thief access to the product that is intended to be locked andsecured on the shelf.

A hole or opening 204 may be located in the barrier 140 through whichmay be mounted a cable lock or similar locking mechanism, as discussedbelow.

In an alternative embodiment, the product display system includesinverted features. The aspects of the invention that are placed on afloor or a shelf and extend upward can be placed on a ceiling or extenddownward, and vice versa. For example, the barrier 140 and retainingwall 116, the dividers 110, and tabs 122 may be inverted. It iscontemplated that in some embodiments the retaining wall 116, thedividers 110, and/or tabs 122 may be configured above the barrier 140which would extend upwardly from the shelf 104. The retaining wall 116,the dividers 110 and/or tabs 122 may be placed on the underside of theshelf above the product and extend downward. Pushers 126 and/or tracks128 can be secured to the underside of a shelf such that the pushersextend downward and the pusher springs are located near or behind theportion of the pusher that is near the underside of the shelf.

In some embodiments, to access product behind the barrier 140, thebarrier 140 must be moved or lifted, which requires a deliberatemovement and the use of one hand to hold the barrier 140 in place. Whilethe barrier 140 is lifted or moved, the product can be removed. Aconsumer or store personnel who uses one hand to hold the barrier 140 inplace, will need to use the other hand to remove product from thedisplay system 100. This embodiment is constructed to inhibit theability of a consumer to access product with two hands at the same time.While product is accessible to the consumer or store personnel, theremoval of large amounts of product in a short period of time isdeterred. The barrier 140 can be created from a clear, opaque orsemi-transparent material and may be hinged or slidable in a variety ofcommon ways.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, an adjustable and removable barrierextension 206 may be configured with the barrier 140. The barrierextension 206 may be used to provide additional product security bycreating a larger barrier to prevent or limit access to the product onthe shelf. The barrier extension 206 may be selectively mounted to thebarrier 140 through the use of mounting holes 208 and fasteners 210. Asshown in the figures, several mounting holes 208 can be located oneither the barrier 140 or the barrier extension 206 or both. Thesemounting holes can be aligned vertically or non-vertically. The severalmounting holes 208 permit the barrier extension 206 to be adjustedrelative to the barrier 140 to permit the barrier extension 206 toextend a desired distance, depending on the application, the desiredlevel of security, or the placement of the shelves. Other techniques formounting or attaching the barrier extension 206 to the barrier 140 arepossible with the invention, including techniques using other types offasteners or adhesives.

The barrier extension 206 can define numerous shapes and configurationsdepending on the desired application and level of product securement.For example, the barrier extension 206 can be configured to extendacross one row of product, one facing, or more than one row or facing.The barrier extension 206 may also be made of a clear, transparent, orsemi-transparent material to permit or prevent the product on the shelfto be visible to a consumer or stock person. The barrier extension 206may also include a handle similar to the handle 202 described above.

The barrier extension 206 may include a reinforcing rim 212 thatprovides additional structural integrity and rigidity to the barrierextension 206 to further provide additional product security. Thereinforcing rim 212 may also be equipped or configured with a handle214. If the barrier extension 206 is configured with a locking mechanismas described herein, or configured to be in a locked position, thereinforcing rim 212 will assist in preventing a potential thief frombending or breaking the barrier extension 206 and thus giving the thiefaccess to the product that is intended to be locked and secured on theshelf.

A locking mechanism may be further added to the barrier 140 to furtherhinder or prevent access to the product on the shelf. In an exemplaryembodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a cylinder lock 200 may be used tosecure and lock the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206 in a closedposition to prevent access to the product. The lock 200 may be mountedto the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206, through a opening or hole216 (FIG. 14), and may be configured to mount through the openings 120in the retaining wall 116.

In one embodiment, the lock 200 may engage an arcuate-shaped wallportion 117 configured in or formed with the retaining wall 116. Thearcuate-shaped wall portion 117 will further secure the lock 200 to theretaining wall 116 by permitting the locking tab of the cylindrical lock200 to more securely seat on, or be held in place relative to, theretaining wall 116. With the use of a lock, such as lock 200, a consumeror store personnel will need to use a key, special tool, or access cardto open the lock prior to moving or lifting the barrier 140.

In one embodiment, the lock 200 may engage an arcuate-shaped wallportion 117 configured in or formed with the retaining wall 116. Thearcuate-shaped wall portion 117 will further secure the lock 200 to theretaining wall 116 by permitting the locking tab of the cylindrical lock200 to more securely seat on, or be held in place relative to, theretaining wall 116. With the use of a lock, such as lock 200, a consumeror store personnel will need to use a key, special tool, or access cardto open the lock prior to moving or lifting the barrier 140.

Referring to FIGS. 18-20, another exemplary lock mechanism is depicted.A lock 280 may be a key-locked rotating oval-shaped lock. The lock 280is secured to the retaining wall 116 through a hole 282 formed in theretaining wall 116. More specifically, and referring to FIG. 20, thelock 280 includes an anchoring bolt that defines a bolt head 284. Thebolt head 284 and washer, if used, will secure the lock 280 to theretaining wall 116. As can be seen in FIG. 20, numerous holes 282 may bepositioned along the retaining wall 116 to provide flexibility in thelocation and placement of the lock 280, as well as providing for the useof numerous locks 280. The lock 280 also can include flanges 290, 292that interact with retaining wall 116.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the barrier 140, or barrier extension 206if used, defines an oval-shaped opening 286. Similar to the flexibilityprovided by the numerous holes 282, numerous openings 286 may be placedalong the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206 to provide the sameflexibility. As shown in FIG. 18, when the lock 280 is in a lockedposition, the opening 286 prevents the lock 280 from passing through theopening 286. As illustrated by FIG. 19, when the lock 280 is moved to anunlocked position through the use of a key 288, the oval-shaped lock 280will to pass through the oval-shaped opening 286 thus permitting theopening of the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206. With the use of thelock 280 and its mounting to the retaining wall 116, as opposed to alock mounted on the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206 and extendinginto the shelf, there will be no interference with product on the shelf,as may sometimes occur with the barrier-mounted locks. In addition, thelock 280 can, but need not, interact with the channels or rails 118, 124and can leave these channels or rails substantially free to receiveother objects such as a retaining wall or tab 122. As can beappreciated, the invention is not limited to the depicted oval-shapelock 280 and opening 286 as well as the illustrated placement of thelock and opening; rather, many various shaped keyed or keyless locks maybe used with similarly shaped openings formed in the barrier or barrierextension and placed in numerous locations and still achieve thebenefits of the invention.

Alternatively, FIGS. 21-24 depict an additional locking mechanism. Alock plate 302 can extend through an opening or slot 304 formed in theretaining wall 116 and through an opening 306 formed in the barrier 140or barrier extension 206. The lock plate 302 is configured to receivethe padlock 300. One or more of the openings or slots 304 may be formedin the retaining wall 116 at various positions along the retaining wallincluding the depicted positions between the holes or openings 120 inthe retaining wall 116. The openings or slots 304 are configured toreceive the lock plate 302 and to secure the lock plate 302 onto theretaining wall 116, as described below. While the openings or slots 304are depicted as vertical slots, other shapes and configurations of theopenings or slots 304 are possible with the invention. Padlock 300 maybe used to secure and lock the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206 in aclosed position to prevent access to the product. The padlock 300 may beany known keyed or keyless padlock and may be mounted to the barrier 140or barrier extension 206 through the use of a movable lock plate 302.

As can be appreciated, depending on the desired level of security, oneor more lock plates 302 may be used to secure and lock the barrier 140or barrier extension 206 in a closed position to prevent access to theproduct. The lock plates 302 are movable in that they can be positionedwithin any of the openings or slots 304 along the retaining wall 116.Being movable also permits the barrier 140 or barrier extension 206 tobe made in various widths to protect only those products on the shelfthat must be protected. In addition, the lock plate 302 need notinteract with the channels or rails 118, 124 and can leave thesechannels or rails substantially free to receive other objects such as aretaining wall or tab 122.

In an exemplary embodiment, the lock plate 302 may be made of anysuitable metal or plastic material and may define a nose 310 that willextend through the retaining wall 116 and barrier 140 or barrierextension 206, if used. The nose 310 further defines an opening or hole312 for receiving the padlock 300, as illustrated by FIG. 21. The nose310 also defines a notch or cut-away 314 that, when assembled, will seaton the bottom edge of the opening or slot 304, as shown in FIG. 24. Oncein this position, the notch or cut-away 314 will prevent the lock plate302 from being slid or pushed back out of the slot 304 and behind theretaining wall 116.

The nose 310 is connected to or formed with a back plate 316. The backplate 316 includes legs or retaining members 318 that, when assembled,will be positioned behind the retaining wall 116 and assist in holdingthe lock plate 302 on the retaining wall 116. The back plate 316 andretaining members 318 may take on numerous configurations that aid inholding the lock plate 302 to the retaining wall 116. The lock plate 302may be configured to not only extend through the retaining wall 116 andbarrier 140 or barrier extension 206, it may also extend through and beused with the tab 122.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that any known locking mechanismcan be used with the invention, including a cable lock that may bemounted with the hole 204 (FIG. 13), and any known key, special tool,access card, electronic, magnetic or wireless means (for keyless lockingmechanisms) can be used to open the locking mechanism.

As depicted in FIG. 8, an exemplary embodiment of the inventionincorporates a system that causes an alert to store or securitypersonnel that a potential theft situation exists. In one embodiment,lifting or moving the barrier 140 activates a mechanical or electronicalert device 142, generally depicted in the figures, that provides asignal, such as an audible, inaudible, infrared, radio-frequency,cellular, ultrasonic or electronic signal (including digital and analogsignals), or a combination of these signals. This alert signal may be asound, tone or voice annunciation that alerts store or securitypersonnel that the barrier 140 has been opened or has been opened for anunusually long period of time and potentially represents a theftsituation. The alert device 142 also may send an electronic or othersignal to play a voice message via the store paging system, to activatea local or remote strobe or annunciator light, or to send a signal to areceiver, such as a store computer, a pager, cellular device, or otherportable device carried by store or security personnel. The alert device142 may also activate a security video camera to monitor the particulararea or vicinity, or activate a monitor that is placed in the area orvicinity which would show the camera image to the consumers andpotential thief, or transmit the camera image to security or storemanagement via a web connection, cellular telephone, personal dataassistant, or any other signal receiving device. The alert device 142also may activate an advertisement, informational announcement or otherstatement or display that is provided through voice, video or video andvoice. This advertisement, announcement or statement can be directed tothe particular product or product type associated with product behindthe barrier that activates the alert device. The alert device can belocated such that barriers of a width of no more than one product facingwill activate the alert device when lifted.

As used herein, the term “alert device” is meant to include any deviceor component that may provide an alert, warning and/or signal concerninga condition, situation, and/or circumstance. The alert device 142 may behard-wired to the store's security system or may be a wireless system.Wireless systems, if used, provide increased flexibility in installationand can be readily installed in existing shelves without the need toinstall wires for either power or communication. In addition, the use ofa wireless system allows for the gradual installation of a system. Forexample, items of high value (and therefore suffering from an increasedlikelihood of being stolen) or items that tend to have significantvariations in customer demand can be monitored first. With a wirelesssystem, the alert signal may be sent to not only the store's securitysystem or computer, but also any portable device or receiver, such as acontroller, personal data assistant, pager or cellular telephone thatmay be carried by store personnel or security. Also with the wireless orwired system, the store's computer can process further the alert signalto determine whether a theft situation exists and can generate reportswhich can be analyzed to fine tune product placement, placement ofcameras, alert devices, sensors, and so forth, as well as fine tune thedelays and actions initiated by potential theft situations. Asunderstood by those skilled in the art the store's computer can beconfigured with the network server and can be accessible remotelythrough the world-wide web or other network, and can be controlledremotely through the world-wide web or other network.

In an exemplary embodiment, the alert device 142 is positioned on theshelf 104, either underneath, as depicted in FIG. 8, or on top of theshelf. Existing mounting holes on the standard dealer shelf may be usedto secure the alert device to the shelf. The alert device 142 may bepositioned near to or adjacent to the barrier 140. The alert device 142may be operatively connected to the barrier 140 through numeroustechniques. In one embodiment, the alert device 142 includes a switch144, such as a push-button switch, that will activate when the barrier140 is moved or opened. That is, as the barrier 140 moves and comes incontact with the switch 144, either directly or through the use of anactivator plate 145, the switch 144 is activated. Alternatively, in aclosed-barrier position, the switch 144 is pressed, as the barrier 140moves to an open position the barrier 140 moves away from the switch144, thereby releasing the switch 144 and thus activating the alertdevice 142.

The alert device 142 may be operatively connected or coupled to thebarrier to detect movement of the barrier through other methods ortechniques. For instance, a motion sensor or similar sensory devices,such as a light-emitting diode sensor assembly, may be used to detectmovement of the barrier and communicate that information to the alertdevice 142. The sensor may be mounted in a variety of locationsincluding on the barrier itself or next to the barrier to detect barriermovement. Alternatively, a magnetic switch may be incorporated to detectmovement of the barrier.

The alert device 142 may include sensory components and time-delayfeatures that will calculate how long the barrier 140 has been moved oropened. Upon reaching a predetermined time period, in other words, asthe barrier 140 has been moved or opened for a certain duration, thealert device 142 will send a signal, such as the above-mentionedsignals, to alert the store personnel, security and/or the consumer thatthe barrier 140 has been opened or moved for a long period of time,thereby indicating a potential theft situation. In an exemplaryembodiment, upon the passing of the predetermined time period, the alertdevice 142 may send an audio alert signal, including a signal differentfrom a previous audio alert signal, that would draw attention to thevicinity. The alert device 142 can therefore be designed to provide itsalert for a fixed period of time before becoming silent.

In another embodiment of the alert device 142, the audio alert signal isadjustable to provide a variety of alert tones of varying frequencies,or to announce that the barrier 140 has been opened or moved for toolong and that the consumer needs to close the barrier 140, or to send asilent alarm to the store and/or security personnel. Different signalsor frequencies can be used as the length of time in which the barrierhas been opened or moved increases. Numerous combinations of alertsignals are possible with the alert device 142 depending on the desiredlevel of security. The alert signal is adjustable and numerouscombinations of signals may be used to provide the desired signal leveland thus security level, yet avoid turning away legitimate consumersfrom selecting and purchasing the product. That is, for example, thealert device 142 can be programmed to provide an alert signal that willdraw the attention of surrounding shoppers or store/security personnel,yet short enough to limit aggravation of the legitimate consumers orstock person.

Also, in another embodiment, a two-tiered response could be implemented.For example, if the barrier 140 is moved, a signal could be transmitteddirectly to the security camera, or via the store computer or both. Inaddition, an inaudible notification could be provided directly tosecurity personnel. If the barrier 140 remains open or moved for a setperiod of time, more clearly indicating a potential theft, an additionalaudible alarm and flashing lights could also be activated, or any otheralarm. Thus, the response could be configured to more carefully matchthe situation.

Referring to FIG. 15, in an exemplary embodiment, a security videocamera 260 may be placed in the vicinity of product that are high risktheft items, or other product of concern. As shown in FIG. 16, a monitor262 also may be placed in the vicinity of the high risk product. Themonitor 262 may be used to show the security camera image to consumersand any potential thief. Thus, a consumer or potential thief thatremoves product from the shelf 104 of the display system 100 may realizethat their actions are being watched by a camera and potentiallyrecorded.

As can be appreciated, the position of the potential theft relative tothe security camera 260 would be beneficial to provide an instruction tothe security camera to focus on a particular position. This positionalinformation could be generated by a number of methods, includingproviding a store computer with the security camera coordinate systemfor the security camera. The location of the alert device 142 relativeto the security camera could be determined during setup and during apotential theft situation; the location of the alert device 142 could beused to direct the focus of the security camera. Alternatively, thesecurity camera could be configured to focus in several positions, suchas three points along an aisle, and the store computer could indicatewhich position was the most appropriate for the particular situation.One skilled in the art will appreciate that the described methods areillustrative because of the numerous methods of controlling the securitycamera that exist.

In addition to the value of such system in loss prevention, the monitorcan show video in the form of advertising or consumer information. Asillustrated by FIG. 17, the monitor 262 can switch between theadvertising or consumer information and the camera image through the useof a video switch 264. This switching activity can occur on a periodicbasis, such as every 30 seconds, or can occur when predeterminedconditions are met, such as the lifting of the barrier 140, the removalof product, the movement of a pusher, or input from a proximity sensorthat a consumer has entered or approaches the area. By playing the videosegment, the device not only reduces loss, but becomes a source ofrevenue when advertisers are charged to place their message on thesystem.

A secondary video source for the monitor on which advertising, consumerinformation or other content is shown can be a video player 266 such asa video cassette recorder, compact disk-video player, solid statedigital video player, direct video, audio feed or other video sources.With respect to the switch 264, the switching action between the cameraimage and advertising or other content can be effected by a hardwaretimer or a small microcontroller. In one embodiment, the secondary videosource can contain a multitude of short video segments which arerandomly or non-randomly selected by the timer or microcontroller. Thecamera 260 may be a small, stand-alone type, not connected to any partof an existing security system, or it may be any typical store securitycamera existing in the store's security network. The monitor 262 may bea small flat, color, LCD type monitor and can be placed at numerouslocations on or near the shelf 104. For instance, the monitor may beplaced in overhead signage above the merchandised product or it can beattached to the shelf 104 edge. In some applications, a larger monitor,such as a CRT-type, plasma, LCD or projection monitor, can be used. Apreferred solid-state digital video player may comprise the secondaryvideo source. The source may be housed in the same enclosure as themonitor or may be located remotely from the monitor.

Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5, in another exemplary embodiment, theshelf 104 on which the product rests may be a “pull-out” shelf. The“pull-out” shelf allows store associates or personnel access to theproduct to restock the shelf but prevents a thief from obtaining suchaccess. The pull-out shelf allows easy access to all product on theshelf. This function, however, requires that the shelf not be movable bythe consumer or thief and therefore the pull-out function must beprotected by a key-lock, special tool, or other locking mechanism. Inthis embodiment, the product dividers 110 may be designed to be at leastequal to the height of the tallest product package on the shelf. As theshelf 104 is pulled out, the product lane or dividers may cause thebarrier 140 to rise. If the height of the dividers 110 is lower than thetallest product package, pushing the shelf back in may cause the barrier140 to catch on the product packages and make it more difficult toreturn to its closed position. Additionally, pulling out the shelf 104will raise the barrier 140 which may activate an annunciator or signalgenerator, as explained above.

Referring to FIG. 9, in an exemplary embodiment, a barrier placed on atop-most shelf 104 may include a lock-box 108 that may be used forstorage of overstock product or additional display system 100components. In an embodiment in which the top-most shelf 104 is apull-out type, the shelf 104 will pull out while the horizontal barrierabove it remains in place, allowing product to be easily accessed. Asindicated above, the lock-box 108 may also be mounted to the verticaluprights 102, through known mounting techniques, and may be mounted atany location on the display system 100. The lock-box 108 may use anyknown locking mechanism that permits key or key-less entry to thelock-box 108. One skilled in the art will appreciate that other securitycomponents may be mounted to the lock-box 108 including the securitycamera, monitor, and alert device 142, to name a few.

In an embodiment, a stationary shroud 180 may placed toward the top ofthe product display system 100. The shroud 180 provides security andgraphic placement, and product may be stored within it. The shroud 180provides security in that it functions as a top wall or barrierpreventing access to the product from a point above the product. Theshroud 180 may mount on or to an existing shelf. The shroud 180 may befixed or adjustable. With an adjustable shroud, the shroud can bepositioned at numerous locations on the product display system. Inaddition, the shroud 180 can be a pull-out shroud functioning in mannersimilar to the exemplary pull-out shelf 104 described above. Moreover,the shroud 180 can also serve as a shelf to hold product. In otherwords, the product display system 100 could include multiple shrouds 180that function as shelves to hold or display product. Also, the shroudcan be configured to mount the barriers 130, 140, through numerous knownmounting techniques. In an exemplary embodiment, the lock box 108 havinga lockable door 109, as shown in FIG. 9, may be placed on the shroud 180for additional product storage and graphic placement.

The product display system 100 of the invention offers various levels ofsecurement and theft protection. Each level described herein can be usedseparately and various or all levels can be used in conjunction witheach other. Each level can also be added to or adapted with existingshelf systems or be provided as a stand alone system. The divider orretaining walls 110 provide securement. The front retaining wall 116 or“fence” provides securement, with or without the retaining tabs 120. Thebarriers and access doors 130, 140 over the top of the retaining wall116 provides securement. The close positioning of the shelf 104 over theproduct located on the shelf below provides securement. The audible orother signal that is generated by the alert device 142 when the barrier140 has been open for a set period of time provides securement. Thesecurity camera and video and display devices provide securement. Eachof these separable aspects of an embodiment of the invention can be usedon its own in a retail setting, or can be used in conjunction with otheraspects of the embodiment. Each separable aspect can be added toexisting shelving or display systems to effectively retrofit and add oneor more levels of security to such existing systems.

One embodiment of the invention features various levels of theftdeterrent. One level assists in preventing sweeping of products. Pushers126, dividers 110, and retaining walls 116 are coupled with a shelf 104or barrier 130, or both, above the product to provide securement to theproduct. The pushers, dividers, retaining walls, shelf, and barrierallow approximately one, two or three packages to be removed through anopening at one time from a facing of the display system. Secondretaining walls or tabs 122 may be used to provide individual securementfor specific rows of product. The front wall 116 and tabs 122 may alsoinclude holes or openings that extend therethrough that would requirethe consumer to push on the product through the holes or openings inorder to remove the product from the shelf.

A second level of securement incorporates all of the features of firstlevel with the addition of a barrier 140 or access door. To access theproduct, the consumer must utilize two hands, one to lift or slide thebarrier 140 and the other to remove the product, thus adding a secondlayer of deterrent to the system.

A third level of securement builds upon the features of the first andsecond levels with the addition of a theft-warning notification device,such as an alert device 142, or other signal transmission device. Thealert notification or signal transmission is activated if the barrier140 or access door is open a predetermined amount of time. This delaycan be adjusted to any duration or eliminated. The notification providesan audible, inaudible, infrared, radio-frequency, electronic, orcellular signal that notifies consumers and/or store and securitypersonnel that the barrier 140 has been open for a particular period oftime. The signal transmission can send a signal to a store computer,store personnel or a security camera or monitor. The signal can alertthe store computer or personnel that the barrier 140 or access door hasbeen opened for a particular period of time and can activate thesecurity camera and monitor to show the thief an image of himself orherself in front of the product. This image can be recorded. Additionalalert notifications or signal transmissions can be activated as theamount of time the barrier or access door is open increases.

An additional level of deterrence of theft by consumers or storepersonnel is the use of a locking mechanism on the shelf 104 to limitunauthorized personnel from pulling out the shelf. The system canrequire the use of a key or an uncommonly or commonly shaped instrumentto be inserted into a concealed access slot in the front or underside ofthe shelf. This method is designed to require someone with specificknowledge of the shelf operation to disengage the lock. In anembodiment, the barrier 140 or access door on the shelf 104 can beautomatically raised for restocking purposes when the shelf is pulledout, then re-engaged once the shelf has been returned to the closedposition. In this application, an audio alert may be incorporated thatindicates that the shelf is being restocked with product.

In addition, in an embodiment, a stationary shroud 180 may be placedtoward the top of the product display and management system. The shroudprovides security by inhibiting access to the product from above theproduct. Also, a lock box can be placed anywhere on the system to storeadditional product that will be secured by a key lock or some otherlocking mechanism.

In one embodiment of the present invention, various aspects of theinvention are added to portions of existing shelves. In someenvironments, there are only one, two or a few potential high-theftproducts among a display of many products. Aspects of the presentinvention can be added solely to the portion of a shelf management anddisplay system with respect to those high-theft products. For example, abarrier 140 could be placed solely over those products. In addition,side walls could be placed to cover one or more of the sides of theproducts to further deter sweeping or other theft. A front barrier, alocking mechanism or other aspects of the invention described hereincould be used solely with the high-theft products or other highlyrelevant products in a display and not used with other products in thesame display. In one embodiment, a particular set of relevant productscan be effectively segregated from the other products within the samedisplay. This particular set of relevant products can be subject toadditional security aspects described herein that are not used with theremaining products in the display.

Referring to FIGS. 28-29, there is depicted an adjustable power bar 400that may be selectively mounted to the back wall 106. The power bar 400will provide electrical power to various components mounted to theshelves, including any video monitors, security cameras, lighting,illuminated signage, overhead header lights, radios, stereos, or anyother components that may be mounted to a shelf or the product displayand require electrical power. As illustrated by the Figures, the powerbar 400 is selectively adjustable between several positions toaccommodate shelf height changes or adjustments without causingobstruction with the mounting or adjustment of the shelf.

Conventionally, power outlets were mounted to the shelf and were noteasily movable. In fact, significant force was required to unlock thepower outlets from the track on which they were mounted to then move thepower outlets. In other known applications, the power outlets weremounted to conductive tracks, similar to track-lighting tracks whichincluded embedded power tracks. With those track-type systems, the poweroutlets needed to be placed at correct locations and snap-fit intoposition. Once installed, the power outlets were not slidable.

The power bar 400 of the invention solves these problems and other knownproblems by providing a power source for a product display that iseasily mountable to the display, such as the back wall 106, and iseasily adjustable to accommodate changes made to the positions of theshelves. The power bar 400 includes an elongated body 402 that may beattached to the back wall 106 of the display. As illustrated, the powerbar 400 may be mounted in a vertical manner and the elongated body 402may extend the entire height of the product display or alternativelyless than the entire height of the product display. The power bar 400may be slidably moved (as indicated by direction arrow 401) a sufficientdistance to avoid interference with the product shelf that may be placedat approximately the same vertical height, or with the repositioning ofthe mounted product shelf. The power bar 400 includes one or more poweroutlets 404 that may be configured at numerous positions on the powerbar 400. Once in the desired position, a fastener, not shown, may bepositioned through an adjustment slot 406 to secure the power bar 400 tothe back wall 106 at the desired height. The adjustment slot 406 iselongated to permit further adjustment of the power bar 400.

The elongated body 402 defines an elongated hollow cavity 408 throughwhich may pass conducting wires 410 that are used to supply the power tothe power bar outlets 404. The elongated body 402 may also include arecessed channel 412 formed in the body 402 and along each side of thebody 402. The channel 412 may be used as a receptor for receiving andaligning the power bar 400 onto the body 402. The power bar 400 may fiton or within the channel 412 in a tongue-and-groove manner, or any othersuitable mounting connection that permits slidable movement of onecomponent relative to another. Once installed, the power bar 400 willslide relative to the body 402 in or on the channel 412.

Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope ofthe present invention. It should be understood that the inventiondisclosed and defined herein extends to the individual features and allalternative combinations of two or more of the individual featuresmentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of thesedifferent combinations constitute various alternative aspects of thepresent invention. The embodiments described herein explain the bestmodes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilledin the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed toinclude alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the priorart.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

1. A product management and securement system, comprising: a first shelfand a top wall, the first shelf having a first front edge; a pluralityof vertical dividers positioned between the first shelf and the topwall; a plurality of product urging devices for slowly urging producttoward the front of the system, a retaining wall positioned adjacent thefirst front edge and extending toward the top wall, the retaining wallhaving a height for obstructing access to the items placed between thefirst shelf and the top wall; and a barrier mounted to the system abovethe first shelf, wherein the barrier is configured (a) to pivot betweenan open and closed position and (b) to substantially obstruct access toitems placed between the first shelf and the top wall when in the closedposition, wherein the retaining wall and the barrier substantially blockaccess to items placed between the first shelf and the top wall when thebarrier is in the closed position, and wherein the barrier permits theremoval of a single product when the barrier is in the open position. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the retaining wall andthe barrier provides an effective wall that is sufficiently transparentso as to allow a user to see through the effective wall, whereby a usermay see items placed between the first shelf and the top wall.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising an alert device configured toindicate that the barrier has not been in the closed position for apredetermined period of time.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein thealert device is a hard-wired or wireless system.
 5. The system of claim1, further comprising a sensor for detecting that the barrier is not inthe closed position.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor isconfigured to detect that the barrier is in a position selected from thelist consisting of a position in between the closed and open positionand the open position.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor isconfigured to provide a signal indicating that the barrier is not in theclosed position, the system further comprising a notification deviceconfigured to provide an indication that the barrier has not been in theclosed position for a predetermined time period in responsive to thesignal received from the sensor.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein thesensor is selected from the list consisting of a push-button switch, amotion sensor and a magnetic switch.
 9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe first shelf is configured to be translatable between an open and aclosed position, the open position being suitable for restockingpurposes.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the retaining wall includesa hole and the system further comprises a locking member configured tobe positioned in the hole, the locking member configured to selectivelylock the barrier wall in the closed position, and wherein the lockingmember is a key-actuated mechanism.
 11. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one end barrier that is extendable from a firstposition to a second position.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein theplurality of dividers substantially extend the distance between theshelf and the top wall and substantially extend to the retaining wall.13. The system of claim 1, wherein the product urging devices isselected from the group consisting of spring-urged pusher, gravity-feddevice and vibration-urged device.
 14. The system of claim 13, whereinthe spring-urged pusher includes an indicia strip indicating theposition of the pusher on the shelf.
 15. The system of claim 1, whereinthe product urging devices urge the product in a controlled manner. 16.A product management and securement system, comprising: a first shelfand a second shelf, the first shelf having a first front edge; aplurality of vertical dividers positioned between the first shelf andthe second shelf; at least one product urging device for urging producttoward the front of the system in a controlled manner, a retaining wallpositioned adjacent the first front edge and extending toward the secondshelf, the retaining wall having a height for obstructing access to theitems placed between the first shelf and the second shelf; and a barriermounted to the system, wherein the barrier is configured (a) to movebetween an open and closed position and (b) to substantially obstructaccess to items placed between the first shelf and the second shelf whenin the closed position, wherein the barrier substantially blocks accessto items placed between the first shelf and the second shelf when thebarrier is in the closed position, and wherein the barrier permits theremoval of a limited number of product when the barrier is in the openposition.
 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an alert deviceconfigured to indicate that the barrier has not been in the closedposition for a predetermined period of time.
 18. The system of claim 16,wherein the alert device is a hard-wired or wireless system.
 19. Thesystem of claim 16, wherein the at least one product urging device isselected from the group consisting of spring-urged pusher, gravity-feddevice and vibration-urged device.
 20. The system of claim 16, furthercomprising at least one end barrier that is extendable from a firstposition to a second position.